A couple of friends and I run an antique print shop at an old-machinery show for one weekend in late summer. We need to cut lead "pigs" (22-pound long bars of lead) into smaller pieces to melt in a head-setting machine (Ludlow) that we"re trying to bring back to life. We"ve tried dry-cutting on a metal-cutting bandsaw, but it"s a slow process and seems to be hard on the blade. Next we"ll try a coarse-tooth blade in a saber saw. Any other suggestions?

A coarse wood cutting p blade in a sawzall sometimes works, depends on the type of lead. Some folks report using a chainsaw on soft lead that's near pure, but if you have actual printers alloy it's going to be linotype or monotype which isn't going to cut so easy. Others have used a torch or a shear.

As Bret4207 noted, pure [or essentially pure] lead is soft. By your description you"re not working with pure lead. Which means that it may not work as you want once you melt it. If it is a harder alloy then it may adversely affect the melting and the final use.

i own a print shop cut lead all the time with my saw made for that the blades i now use are carbide tiped and are circular especiall made foe metal dont look that much different than a regular czrbide circular saw blade Yes i still have letterpress wish i had a ludlo yes the lead is harder than just lead it has tin and animony good luck with your project

(quoted from post at 07:55:54 08/28/13) Axe , chisel or other sharp edge. As soon as heat or friction is used which includes all saws. You are spreading toxic heavy metal crumbs, dust and vapour.
Doesn't take very much in the body either.

Lead alloys have to get up over 1K before vapors form. That's why all the plumbers, bullet casters and other lead workers aren't dead. Any harmful health effects can be neutralized by using good old common sense- wash your hands, work in open air, clean the area up, etc.

Now if you want to chew up some lead or lead alloy chips or snort lead dust...then you' have a problem.

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